Can PMAN Be Stopped?

By Dimeji Ogedengbe

Apparently, when the King Sunny Ade-led Performing Musician Association of Nigeria (PMAN) was formed in 1982 at the memorable Ariya Nite Club, Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos; they did not envisage that a genre as Hip-Hop/R n B, which was only celebrated in the West would conquer Nigerian music and strip them of their stardom, accolades and even relevance almost three decades after. The association kicked off with a singular objective ‘to bring Nigerian music practitioners together in defense of a common interest that principally bothers on piracy and boot-legging’. But sadly, nearly three decades after, we are still here. Even worse!

Those who were at the time, A-listers in the Nigerian music industry – including Chief (Mrs.) Christy Essien Igbokwe, Evangelist Sunny Okosun (RIP), Chief Ebenezer Obey, Lemmy Jackson, Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, Emma Ogosi, Laolu Akins, Funmi Adams, Oby Onyioha, Maliki Showman, Harry Mosco, King Pago, Bobby Benson amongst others were all pioneer passengers on the now capsized PMAN ship.

Considering the wasted years of epileptic PMAN leadership; with little or no progressive impact on the life of an average Nigerian musician; who, in his right frame of reasoning and judgment would castigate the likes of eLDee da Don, Banky W, D’banj, M.I, Sound Sultan and others who stormed Oshogbo where a PMAN election was being held on Saturday, January 29, 2011 with a plan to inject one or two of themselves into the PMAN government – and eventually hijack its plane of administration? Who?

Since that day, Monday January 31, 2011 at the GRA, Ikeja located night club ‘The Place‘, where nearly all contemporary Nigerian artistes gathered for the first time to champion the cause of a ‘change’ in the Nigerian music system, after they were denied recognition in Oshogbo; newspaper entertainment columnists, online journals and critics alike have arisen in condemnation of the experimental movement opining that they are just being ‘exuberant’.

Well argued. A right motive but channeled in a wrong way. But has any of the critics, as stakeholders in the industry ever made any move to lead an objective campaign against PMAN’s failed leadership?

Social media has turned us all into critics. Everyone’s busy writing and pontificating. Not that there’s so much wrong with that; but, as we’ve seen time and again, if that could change anything, Wole Soyinka’s articles and comments would have liberated Nigeria by now.

What we need, really, in PMAN, and in many other drowning institutions across the Nigerian state, is action. Radical action. The type we’ve seen in Tunisia. The type we’ve seen in Egypt.

Only the Egyptians of this industry can crack the Hosni Mubarak that has enveloped the development and welfare of our entertainment industry.

It’s quite understandable that the new generation artistes should have become registered members of PMAN for at least 12 months – which would have automatically qualified any of them to legitimately vie for any post as the association’s constitution stipulates. But in an environment where due process is nothing but fiction; damning the rules to salvage a deprived community might be an alternative way out.

It’s certainly too late to apportion blames or cast aspersions. And way too heart-breaking for the respected individuals in the industry, who should be in-and-out of meetings with the artistes to achieve a common goal. Instead, they are busy pushing the pawns carelessly; which might eventually falter the collective ambition of PMAN.

According to reports, the artistes were practically ignored at the elections and refused the rights to participate in the process in which Dele Abiodun was reinstated as the new PMAN president.

‘We went to Oshogbo because we wanted a change in the industry but what we met there led us to realize how important that change is now. The system is decayed. We want to represent ourselves. PMAN is officially fired. We have a new team now‘, Jude ‘M.I’ Abaga told me, consumed with the spirit of activism.

As the mission and vision statements of the yet-to-be named association was enumerated by eLDee at the emergency meeting; interim executives to engineer the experimental coalition were named; including KSB, Mr. Kool, Banky W, M.I, Efe Omorogbe, Jude Okoye, Sound Sultan and eLDee da Don.

However, those who had buried the coalition idea even before it came to the public glare, and those who only fight and proffer solutions on the pages of newspapers and in different chat rooms and social media networks, sitting in the comfort of their office desks and over glasses of wine would be eventually ashamed of their passive role; and that’s only if the coalition members would grow up enough to peel away the false characterizations, the ego, the baggage, the hurts and really listen to one another. Will they listen?

If only they would step out of their comfort zones and impact the industry. If only they can be active or at least learn the issues. Will they fight for a larger cause? The Nigerian entertainment industry has turned the other cheek for far too long. For the sake of posterity, we must stop deflecting and learn how to pick the right fights to save our future. Which army goes to war with the mindset of failure?

‘I’m afraid to not try, I’m afraid to not attempt to effect the change‘; Mr. Abaga adds; with P-Square, D’banj, Darey Art Alade, Weird MC, Kenny Saint Brown (KSB), Ruggedman, B.O.U.Q.U.I, Baba Dee, Art Quake, GT d Guitarman, Dr. Sid, ID Cabasa, Blaise, and several others present at the meeting all clenching their fists in support of the motion which, as it seems is aimed at burying an already comatose PMAN.